Saturday, October 27, 2018

ROSE GOLD PUMPKINS

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Mini pumpkins + rose gold is the look. Rose gold is one of the fasting growing, quickly becoming an all time favorite color. Perfect for fall decorating. And capturing that look is on every one's to do list. Here is my take on adding this pretty color to your fall. So simple, spray painting your pumpkins. The easiest way to add a soft metallic color to any room, inside and out. 15 minutes and under ten dollars. Beautiful. You will have the prettiest pumpkins of all, and, most importantly, your pumpkins will be head turners. Success guaranteed.


This is what you will need-

White Pumpkins
Rose Gold Spray Paint
Painters’ Tape
  

I tested several rose gold paint colors, this was my favorite…Link here. It is the PERFECT metallic rose gold color. It is soft, shinny, not harsh. A little different. Different is unique, and unique is good. This color is very good.

Paint in a well-ventilated space, outside is best.


Cover the stems with painters’ tape.


Place the pumpkins in the lid of a cardboard box. Turn the pumpkins on their sides and LIGHTLY spray the bottoms. Hold the can about 8-10 inches from the pumpkins. Let dry about 15 minutes, or when no longer tacky to touch.


Flip the pumpkins onto their bottoms and lightly spray the sides. If your paint is running down the side of the pumpkin, the spray can is either too close to the pumpkin or you are trying to cover the pumpkin with too much paint too quickly. Just use a paper towel and wipe off paint and start over. Spray lightly.



Let sit for a couple of minutes, then lightly spray the pumpkin from the top (stem) down.

This paint covers a white pumpkin easily with one light coat of paint. Add a second layer of paint if needed or if you are painting over traditional orange pumpkins.

Let dry completely before moving. This could take several hours or over night, depending the temperature where you are working. Warmer temps, paint will dry faster, cooler, paint will take longer to dry. 

Remove painter's tape.

And the winner of the prettiest pumpkin of 2018 is…


 Just the perfect soft gold to start the season...


From my house to yours...


... Happy (have the prettiest) Fall!



Saturday, October 6, 2018

INSTANT VINTAGE

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I am smitten. I have fallen in love with those beautiful time weathered gray vintage French baskets you see everywhere! I want, no, correct, I need to have them everywhere. More is better. They are beautiful. Quiet. Elegant on their own or stuffed full of fluffy soft pillows. Or in the garden, as a planter for your lavender. A basket with a story. A quick trip to Provence is out of the question, no problem. You can make a few of your own vintage baskets in less that 20 minutes. Yes, you can.


You know all those dark brown baskets we purchased years ago? Well, they are dark. And I’m tired of them. So….

This is what you will need-
One Dark Basket
Rust-Oleum Chalked Spray Paint-Aged Gray
Chalk Style Paint
Paint Brush
Paper Towels


I love the ease and the color of this spray paint. Perfect. You can substitute the white with any white flat paint, so little of it is used, it is just an accent.





Spray paint your baskets in a ventilated space, outside is best. Start inside the basket.



Then the outside. Hold the can about 10” to 12” from the basket. Use long sweeping passes. It is best to do a light coat of paint, you can add a little more later if you like.



I wanted to have a natural look, so I tried to leave a little of the natural dark stain peeking through. Spraying the basket took about 5 minutes.

Let the basket dry.



I used a “dry brush” technique to layer a touch of white. Dip the paint brush into the paint and blot most of the paint off the brush onto a paper towel.



Use sparingly. Long diagonal sweeps up the sides.




Lengthwise across the reeds.



Create a stippled effect by dotting just the tips of the brush along the reeds to achieve a “speckled” look randomly around the basket. You don’t need much, but the white blends the gray and the stain together to give the basket that seasoned textured look. Adding the white took about 15 minutes. Certainly, much faster than letting it age on its own.


Beautiful in pairs...


Add a French cat...


Instant vintage...